THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division yesterday ordered the cancellation of the registration of the Duterte Youth party-list, which received 2,338,564 votes in the May 2025 midterm polls and is entitled to three seats in the House of Representatives.
The Comelec division voted 2-1 to revoke the group’s registration as a party-list organization, further dimming its chances of getting proclaimed by the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC).
“It is the duty of the Commission to respond when the technicalities of election laws are being exploited and used as tools for manipulation. To find otherwise would be to encourage the abhorrent practice of hunting for loopholes and to keep a blind eye on corruption and abuse of the system,” the division said in its 25-page decision.
“Wherefore, premises considered, the petition dated 03 September 2019 filed is hereby granted. The petition for registration of Duterte Youth party-list is cancelled,” it added.
Elections chairman George Garcia said the decision of the Second Division is not yet final and executory.
He said the group has five days to appeal the decision, otherwise, the ruling will become final and executory.
“Despite the decision of the Comelec Second Division, there remains a remedy for the concerned party-list. They can still file a motion for reconsideration before the Commission en banc,” he said.
The poll chief noted that Second Division ruling failed to answer questions on whether Duterte Youth can still be proclaimed by the NBOC or not.
“That (proclamation) is still uncertain as of now… They (Duterte Youth) will have to focus more on the MR they will be filing, if they choose to file one,” Garcia said.
TECHNICALITY
In its ruling, the Second Division said Duterte Youth failed to meet the Comelec requirement to publish in two national newspapers of general circulation a copy of its registration petition, its manifestation of intent to participate, and its list of nominees and certificate of nomination, among others.
“Inasmuch as Duterte Youth failed to prove compliance with the jurisdictional requirements of publication and hearing, its registration as a party-list organization is void,” it said.
‘MOCKERY OF THE ELECTION PROCESS’
It likewise found fault in the decision of Duterte Youth to nominate Ronald Cardema in the 2019 polls despite being overaged as a youth sector representative.
“When Duterte Youth deliberately accommodated its overaged candidate just a few hours before the 13 May 2019 National and Local Elections (NLE), arguing that it has all the freedom to choose whoever it chooses as nominee, its bona fide intent to represent the youth sector becomes clouded with doubt. To stress, it is the nominee who has to qualify in representing the sector, not the other way around. The sector cannot be tailored to fit the nominee’s profile,” it said.
The Comelec division also scored Duterte Youth for repeatedly switching the names of its party-list nominees during the 2019 elections.
“The withdrawal and substitution en masse, as well as the back and forth switching of Duterte Youth’s nominees on 12 May 2019, although arguably within technical bounds, undermines the spirit and intent of the party-list system and puts a mockery in the election process, ultimately violating laws, rules, and regulations relating to elections,” it ruled.
